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Cartoon: James Pullen; Photo: FreeImages.co.uk

“Lent and Suffering”

By the blood that flowed from thee in thy grievous agony;
by the traitor’s guileless kiss
filling up thy bitterness;

Jesus, Saviour, hear our cry;
thou wert suff’ring once as we:
now enthroned in majesty
countless angels sing to thee.

F. W. Faber

Lent is already upon us, a time of preparation culminating with the celebration of Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection. It is a time for many of us to perform a spiritual ‘spring clean’, getting our spiritual houses ready for Easter. It is a time of re-examining our lives and seeing where we can do better. It is also a time of meditating upon Christ’s suffering and death, something we also share in on a daily basis. Where are we going with our lives? Are we indeed walking on the ‘straight and narrow’? Or do we at times prefer the wide and broad path to destruction? Is our focus on heaven, or is it on the world? Which do we consider to be more important? Because surely given the temporary nature of this life and the permanent nature of the next, we want to make sure that we live the Christian life constantly, not just for an hour on Sunday. “No one can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or treat the first with respect and the second with scorn. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.” (Matthew 6:24) We must choose one or the other, God or the world. We can not lead double lives.

Cartoon: James Pullen

Given that Jesus died for our sins on Good Friday, during Lent sin is also given attention. It is a time of repentance, confession of sins, and resolving to try not to commit those sins again. “You should be awake, and praying not to be put to the test. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41) It is true that we have our weaknesses. But do we do anything about them? We mustn’t shrug off the obligation by saying “but that’s human nature”. God will give us the grace if only we ask and make the effort. Lent is a time of putting in an especial effort in this regard. There is today the tendency to take something on for Lent, rather than to try to give something up. Whilst I see the value of doing an extra good thing, I feel it is also important that we do some form of penance (renunciation of our own will), which in most people’s lives will mean having to give up a certain pleasure. If we are to be true ‘imitators of Christ’ we must go through the suffering, as well as the joy, of being a Christian:

The whole of Christ’s life was one of martyrdom and cross: and do you seek your own joy and rest? You are all at sea if anything else you seek but to suffer affliction; for your whole mortal life is filled with woes and circumscribed with crosses. And the loftier your spiritual progress, the heavier crosses often you will find; for love serves to deepen the pain of exile … Really you ought to be glad to suffer a little for Christ; many suffer harder for the world

The Imitation of Christ by Thomas À Kempis, Book II, Chapter 12.

Lent therefore is an opportunity for us to put this into practice: to embrace the cross, to follow Christ in all things. I have heard it said that it is when things go wrong that you find out who your real friends are. If we really love Jesus, we will desire to suffer with Him.

In Catholic thought, Christ’s suffering is not all over. He continues to suffer in His Church. By suffering we participate in Jesus’ work of redemption. However, it is not our work, but rather Christ working in us. Since He as the Head of the Church suffered, so too does His mystical body, the Church. This is symbolised during Mass by adding a tiny drop of water to the wine, to signify our weak, pathetic offering joined with that of Christ. Christ offered one single sacrifice for sins and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is not a separate sacrifice, but one and the same sacrifice with the Sacrifice of the Cross. Catholic thought and belief is that at the Mass the Sacrifice of the Cross is mystically renewed in a bloodless manner, without Jesus dying at every Mass. Perhaps during Lent we could make the special effort of attending extra church services, if possible, which in the case of Catholics could include Mass and the Stations of the Cross.

So how does what I have written relate to our everyday lives? Our lives should be looking towards life in Heaven with God, not being focused on ‘the world’. Don’t let Lent pass you by without stopping and reflecting on your life, seeing what is in conflict with God’s will and changing it. Don’t forget to practise some form of penance, enabling us to become more ‘involved’ in Jesus’ suffering and death. There are all sorts of hidden penances we can do, such as not putting salt or tomato ketchup on our chips. To those who ask “why bother?” reply that if you don’t put any effort in, how do you expect to get anything out? And to those who say “it’s too hard” and “the Christian way of life is unliveable” respond by saying that all atheism has proven is that Jesus was correct when He said that without God’s help we can do nothing (refer to John 15:4–5).

Michael Puljic

What’s your take on Lent? Why not write to us for the next issue about how your Lent vows went? submissions@christis.org.uk

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Last modified: 25th November 2005